Knox County Schools Closed Again Thursday—Full List of Closures, Delays, and Make-Up Days

Knox County Schools students will log a fifth straight snow day this week as lingering ice on neighborhood routes keeps buses sidelined and buildings shuttered. Maintenance and custodial crews began clearing parking lots and walkways Tuesday on a two-hour delay, but secondary roads in hilly, shaded subdivisions remain dangerously slick after the weekend storm’s 4-6 inches of snowfall. District officials said student safety—especially for the 30,000 children who rely on buses—outweighs the push to reopen quickly. The closure means Knox County Schools (KCS) has now used four of the eight weather days built into its 2025-26 academic calendar. If storms force additional cancellations, the district could activate virtual learning or tack makeup days onto spring break. Parents are urged to monitor KCS social channels for updates on Thursday’s status; a two-hour delayed start is the best-case scenario currently under review. County engineering director Jim Snowden reported that primary arteries are clear, but only 60-70 % of residential streets are drivable, complicating the district’s ability to guarantee safe passage to every campus. The city of Knoxville confirmed all in-city school zones are passable, yet the blanket closure policy keeps the entire 92-school system closed when any sector remains hazardous. Academic leaders remind families that extended downtime can impact end-of-quarter assessments. Teachers are posting optional enrichment assignments on Canvas, and meal-pickup sites at five high schools will operate from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Wednesday for students who depend on daily breakfasts and lunches. With highs forecast to reach the mid-40s Thursday before another overnight freeze, transportation supervisors will reassess road conditions at 4 a.m. Any shift—from reopening to switching over to a Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) day—will be announced via robocall, the KCS app, and local media. For now, families across Knoxville, Farragut and Halls remain in weather-watch mode, stocking sleds and Chromebooks alike as winter 2026 writes its own lesson plan for Knox County Schools.